I'll Return, I Promise
by dude7000
Summary: Gregor knew he couldn't stay away from the Underland forever, but he also couldn't go back right away. What would he do while he waited? How long would he wait? What would he find when he returned? He wasn't sure yet, but he had a way to answer those questons. Nothing would keep him from Luxa, he would return to her, no matter what.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: This is the first story I've published, and I'm going to try my hardest to complete it. It came to me because I haven't seen an Underland Chronicles Fanfic play out exactly the way I wanted. I guess that's why the site is here in the first place, right? Also, I don't have the skill required to adequately mimic the slightly tangled speech the Underlanders use, I'll try not to have them sound too much like Overlanders, but I can't make any promises. One more thing, I haven't read the series in a few years, fanfiction is more recent in my memory so if anyone is reading this story, and you notice a mistake I have made, please tell me.**

 **Edit: The first two chapters are in first person but the perspective permanently switches to third person in chapter 3.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing in relation to The Underland Chronicles.**

After the entrance to the Underland was covered, I didn't know how to feel. I was hurt by the thought that I might not see Luxa again, I was still devastated by Ares' death, I was glad my family was safe, but most of all I confused, because New York felt safe but it didn't feel like home. I had a feeling I wouldn't ever be able to consider anywhere but the Underland home, but I couldn't do anything about that. Yet.

After we got back to the apartment, I knew what I had to do. I wouldn't be able to do it tonight, Mom would be watching me too closely, and she couldn't know, at least not yet. I hugged Grandma and spent a little time talking to her, then I went to the kitchen and made a bowl of cereal. When I was done eating and washed the bowl and spoon, I hung out in the living room with Liz and Dad for a while. We just sat there and watched TV, trying to enjoy some of the normalcy that had returned to our lives, well, they were, I was thinking. When it was late enough to go to sleep without making anyone suspicious, I went to my room and laid down on my bed planning, thinking of all the things I would need do to make sure I was ready to return. When I was satisfied I had most things covered, I spent about an hour softly clicking my tongue, just making sure that I didn't neglect a skill I was sure would be very important in my future, and also being careful not to wake Boots or Lizzie with the noise.

I forced myself to wake up early, glancing at the alarm clock in my room, I saw that it was 6:11. Quietly rolling out of bed, I grabbed a pen and the first piece of paper I saw, which happened to be a page that Boots tore out of one of her coloring books after apparently getting bored of scribbling across most of the page. Turning it over I quickly wrote the letter I had been waiting since yesterday to write, when I was done I folded it in thirds and then in half so it would fit in my pocket and wrote a name on the top flap, identifying who it was meant for. Then I put it in my back pocket and made some oatmeal, after I ate and was washing my dishes my mom came into the kitchen, looking surprised, then suspicious that I was awake so early.

"What are you doing up Gregor?"

"I went to bed a little early, and I've gotten used to sleeping in shifts so I don't really feel tired." It was only slightly a lie, I was used to operating on only a few hours of sleep, besides I'd gotten almost six hours. Obviously this was the wrong thing to say, however, because her eyes narrowed and she sounded upset when she responded.

"I don't want you to talk about your time down there Gregor, I want you to forget all about that place. They shouldn't have made you fight their enemies for them, you're only a child."

I knew she wouldn't understand that I was the only one who could stop The Bane, that if I didn't fight Regalia would have been lost. I couldn't let that happen I cared far too much about the people there, but she wouldn't believe me, she couldn't grasp the situation or my importance in the events that took place, so I kept my mouth shut. When she saw that I wasn't going to say anything she started coffee machine Mrs. Cormaci got her shortly after the plague incedent. I saw her silence as an opportunity to change the subject.

"Have you and Dad decided if we're going to Virginia?"

Her eyes widened slightly in shock at the new topic, but she quickly recovered. "Yes, we spoke last night about it. We are moving at the end of the month, we were going to tell everyone later today, since that only leaves a few weeks to pack. We decided that the sooner we get away from _there_ , the better."

I nodded, I had expected as much, but it still made me sad. I walked past her to the front door, before I got there I called back to her over my shoulder, " I'm going to see Mrs. Cormaci, she's usually up by now, and I've missed her." she didn't say anything, probably because she was shocked I wasn't fighting her about the move. After I put my shoes on she was behind me, I knew what she was going to do and I didn't care, I wasn't lying.

"I'll walk you there." Her tone left no room for argument, but I didn't care if she walked me there.

"Okay, thanks."

When we got to Mrs. Cormaci's door, I knocked lightly three times, hoping she was awake. It was only a few seconds later that her door opened and her enthusiastic voice greeted us "Hi! It's so good to see the two of you. How are you?"

I answered before my mom could. "Hey Mrs. Cormaci, we're alright. I was wondering if I could hang out here and talk to you for a little while, you know, catch up."

She glanced at my mother, then looked back at me and smiling, said "Of course Gregor. Did you need him back by a certain time, Grace?" she looked back to my mother then, waiting for her response.

"Before noon, I suppose. We'll need him to start packing later today."

Mrs. Cormaci looked surprised for a second and then smiled sadly. "I figured you would decide to move, I'm assuming the end of the month?"

"Yes, we are extremely grateful for how much you've helped us, but I think moving to Virginia is what will be best for our family. We'll all miss you, and we will keep in touch."

That worked out perfectly for me, so I decided to speak. "That's actually one of the things I wanted to talk to Mrs. Cormaci about, I was going to ask if she would like to be pen pals with me." Switching my focus to the woman in question I spoke again. "What do you say? I'd rather write letters than talk on the phone, it feels more personal." I hoped she would say yes, otherwise I would have to try to convince her, and that would seem suspicious to my mother. Luckily, she either saw the desperation in my eyes, or actually like the idea, she agreed. I would explain the other parts after my mom left.

"Okay, when he's done here can you walk him back?" She asked Mrs. Cormaci.

"Certainly, Grace. Take care"

My mother smiled and walked away. After we went inside Mrs. Cormaci's place, I gave her a big hug. I sat on her couch and told her everything that happened in the Underland, when I told her about my feelings for Luxa, she smiled and said, "I was wondering when you'd figure that out." I continued with the details of the war. When I got to the final moments of the battle with The Bane, I couldn't stop my tears, or speak past the lump in my throat, she knew from my behavior that Ares had passed. She told me I didn't have to say it, which I was grateful for, after that I told her of the death of the Warrior and the birth of the Peacemaker, she laughed softly at the mention of Ripred, and said that she thought it was wonderful that someone so skilled in the art of war was now making peace. I ended it by telling her of mine and Luxa's goodbye, then I stood and handed her the letter. "This is the main reason I wanted to be pen pals. I was wondering if, aside from writing letters to me, you could act like a courier between me and the Underland. I'm going back, and I need them to know that, I also want to be able to keep in touch with them so I can stay informed about what's happening there. Don't worry, I'm not going back anytime soon, not for several years, but I belong there and I _will_ return to them."

She smiled knowingly at me, "To them, or her?"

"...Her, but also them." I responded, feeling heat rush to my cheeks.

"Of course I'll do it for you, and I won't tell your parents about this. I'll take this down and wedge it behind the grate so that it isn't visible from the laundry room, but are you sure they'll check to see if you left anything?"

"I'm not sure, but I believe that someone will get curious and check sometime this week, or at least this month." I sincerely hoped that was true, otherwise the Underland I returned to might not be one that I was prepared for. We talked a little more then she made me a sandwich and walked me home. When I got inside I could tell that my parents had already told Lizzie and Grandma about the move, Lizzie looked at me hopefully, probably expecting me to argue about it. Instead I looked at my mom and told her that Mrs. Cormaci was wondering if anyone else wanted to write her letters to stay in touch. Lizzie looked dumbstruck that I sounded okay with the move, but after what I said clicked, she looked a little suspicious. I was pretty sure she knew I had an ulterior motive for writing letters, but she only said that she would like to write letters as well. My mom didn't seem to give it a second thought and said that it was fine, but that we had to start packing.

I knew I had to be patient, I might not hear anything from the Underland for weeks, but it helped that there was so much that needed to be done in the coming weeks. My aunt came up and took Grandma down to Virginia, she seemed to be doing well enough to be moved. As more time went on I became increasingly worried that nobody would check the grate, and they wouldn't know that I was going to be back. Lizzie seemed to pick up on my mood, and most likely, the reason for it.

It wasn't until our last week in New York that Mrs. Cormaci came to our place and asked if I could help her out with a few things, I knew immediately that she had something to give me. Lizzie volunteered to help as well, but Mrs. Cormaci said she needed my muscles. I knew for sure then, that Lizzie knew and she would be upset if I didn't let her in on it. "Well Mrs. Cormaci, you know what they say, 'Many hands make light work' besides Lizzie's pretty strong."

She stared at me for a brief moment then agreed. "Well, we'd better be on our way, come on you two."

"We'll be back later mom."

When we got to Mrs. Cormaci's place Lizzie thanked me for letting her come along. "Well I know you already figured it out anyways, sometimes I feel like you're too smart for your own good."

"I should have known she knew when you suggested she come along, I thought I was being too subtle. Well anyhow, last night I found this wedged into the grate." She then handed me a folded piece of parchment with my name written in smooth, flowing letters. When I opened it I saw elegant script that I was sure belonged to Vikus. "He has very nice penmanship especially considering he just had a stroke."

"Yeah, but was his left side that was affected and he's right handed."

Lizzie spoke up then, "Wait you wrote to Vikus? I thought you would have written to Luxa." she sounded more than a little surprised.

"I want her to be surprised when I go back, but I also need Vikus to take care of a few things for when I return." I read the letter, and when I saw that he approved of my plan and had even given me his blessing to go forth with it, I couldn't stop the huge smile that spread across my face. I had help, I had _Vikus_ helping me, that was the best I could hope for. I handed the letter to Lizzie to read. When she was done she was also smiling, but I could also see the sorrow in her eyes. "I know it doesn't seem like a long time Liz, but it's as long as I can stay away. I belong there, I want to be there. Besides we can still visit each other, they like you, and I'll still need to get some sunlight." She nodded sadly, but then she smiled and hugged me tightly.

"I'm really happy you're so sure of yourself Gregor. I'll miss you when you're gone, but we still plenty of time together."

I asked Mrs. Cormaci for a pen and paper, so I could respond to the letter. When she returned with the items, I handed her the letter from Vikus to read while I wrote. After I finished, I asked her to keep the letter Vikus sent until after we moved so that she could mail it with his response my most recent letter, which I then handed her. I didn't want my mom to stumble across it, and after the move I could hide them somewhere in my new room.

That night I thought over one specific part of the letter Vikus sent, _She suffers, Overlander, the love she holds for you causes her pain for the distance between you. I know not how long she will need to resume her duties to Regalia, but I believe when you return, the love will still be in her heart. I can see that you will always be in her heart Gregor, and I will make certain Regalia sees that as well._

Before I drifted into unconsciousness, I had one thought, _Luxa_ , _I'll return, I promise._


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: I'm not sure if I should stick with first person or third person, maybe I'll do both, let me know what you think. This chapter will be in Luxa's perspective. I'm sorry, I've spent hours trying to come up with appropriate dialogue for the Underlanders, but I just can't get a solid grasp of the nuances of their speech patterns, so the best I feel I can do is keep slang and most contractions away from their mouths. I apologize if this is something you can't look past.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing in relation to The Underland Chronicles.**

* * *

Three years, it had been three very long years since last I saw the Overlander. Gregor, even thinking his name pained me, though it had dulled considerably over time, still it sometimes managed to steal my breath. Today would be harder than most, it was the Day of Remembrance, a day of mourning, but also celebration. We celebrated the end of The War of Time, the peace that had been established across the Underland, but most importantly we celebrated the Warrior and Ares, and all they sacrificed to bring us here. Vikus had suggested it shortly after the Overlander left, he also commissioned a great statue to be erected near the front gates of the castle. Through her grandfather's actions the Overlander and Ares were revered as the greatest heroes the Underland had ever seen, tales of their deeds were told to the young of all races, except cutters, however, little had been seen of the cutters for some time.

I walked through the royal wing towards Hazard's room, I wondered what he would be doing today. When I arrived I called his name and walked inside, he was sitting on the floor drawing a picture of a person. Instead of asking who it was, I stepped closer to him, when I was close enough to touch him I focused on the image on the parchment. My heart jumped in my chest, it was Gregor riding atop Ares, clad in his black armor wielding Sandwich's sword and Solovet's dagger. I could see the determined set of his face, the anxiousness in his posture, and the confidence in the set of Ares' features. The sight of Ares drew forth painful memories of long days with Henry and Aurora, training, playing, growing. I regained control of myself after a few moments and called his name.

"Oh! Luxa, I didn't hear you come in, I've been really focused on getting this just right. Vikus said that if I created something for the ceremony later today, he would place it in a case near Gregor's sword. I'm really happy that we have a day to remember him, he gave a lot to help everyone here." He paused for a few seconds, "Do you still miss him?" he asked in a somber voice.

"Yes I do, I will always miss him, I know you will as well. I am going to visit the monument now. Would you like to accompany me?"

"No, I'm going to try to finish this, I only have a few hours until the Remembrance ceremony begins. I'll see you there, have fun today, I think it's what he would want."

I smiled at him as I left, he was right, Gregor would like to see me happy. I saw Vikus entering his study carrying what appeared to be a letter. I decided to say hello before visiting the statue of Gregor. I knocked on his door and asked if I could enter, after a few seconds he called me inside. He was sitting at his desk, but there was nothing in front of him. I was sure he was carrying a letter when he entered his room and I wondered where it was.

"Luxa, how can I help you? Or have you come simply to speak with me?" His warm smile comforted me like few things could, and brought a smile to my face.

"Hello Vikus, I was on my way to the shrine, but I saw you come in here and wanted to say hello. I saw you carrying a letter, but it isn't on your desk, did you discard it?" I was curious as to why he would throw away a letter after only a few seconds of opening it, if he had indeed thrown it away. He looked surprised and then slightly nervous, I wondered why.

"Oh, I uh, um, oh dear... well, oh. Well Luxa, that was a letter from...The Fount, yes The Fount." He seemed slightly relieved.

"Has something happened Vikus, do I need to summon the council?" I was worried that there could be trouble, he seemed so worried about the letter. I certainly hoped there was not any trouble, especially on Gregor's day.

"No! No Luxa, it was nothing of the sort, it-it was, a letter from, um, a suitor. Yes it was a man from The Fount, seeking your hand. I discarded the letter as soon as I discovered that. You know that I do not want you to have to worry about suitors- if you decide to produce an heir- until after you turn eighteen." It seemed like he was hiding something from me, but the mention of a suitor distracted me.

"Thank you Vikus, I am not interested in them now, and I do not think I ever shall be. Perhaps Hazard will have children, and after my reign is over, they can take the throne. I am curious, however, as to why you want me to wait until I turn eighteen. It is common for one in my position to have suitors shortly after they would turn sixteen."

"I know there are some who would like for you to start seeing suitors immediately after turning sixteen, those on the council would like to have a relative to become king; since they can not force you to marry, they would like to attempt to sway your decision by using your youth. They believe that since you are young, your decision regarding a betrothal will be impulsive and heavily influenced by your newly maturing body. I know otherwise, I also know that you will almost certainly not marry, not with your heart so far away. I do not want the council to needlessly pressure you about your feelings on the matter while you are still so young, so I say eighteen to give you a few more years without it." He smiled softly at me.

I knew Vikus supported my decision to not get married, I would sacrifice much for Regalia, but I would not condemn myself to a life of being miserable unless I had no other choice. No matter how angry they were, the council, as Vikus said, could not force me to marry, but they would find many ways of making their displeasure known. Knowing that he was giving me two extra years away from it, made me extremely grateful, so I gave him a very big hug. After we parted I thanked him and told him I was going to continue on my way to the shrine that had been put in place to remember all who were lost to The War of Time.

The shrine was located around the base of the statue of Gregor, depicted wearing his black armor, wielding Sandwich's sword overhead in one hand, mouth open wide soundlessly shouting his defiance to all who would harm Regalia. It was a wonderful thing to behold, standing almost forty feet tall, it served as a magnificent reminder to all, that Gregor had fought mightily for their safety. I felt my throat constrict while I stared at it, and remembered the boy I love, I could almost hear his war cry. Tearing my gaze from the face of the statue, I looked at the pedestal directly in front of its feet. Resting there, under constant guard, was Sandwich's sword, still broken. After Gregor left, the two pieces were gathered. There were some on the council who wished to see the blade reforged, however, most agreed with me, that it was the Warrior's blade and with him gone none would wield it, therefore there was no reason to make it whole once more. That was only one reason that I wanted it to remain broken, the other was that Gregor had wanted it broken, and I would do all I could to respect his wishes, it was the least I could do for the boy I love.

I left the shrine after a few more minutes, and made my way to the museum. It was empty like I knew it would be, I made my way over to the blanket that lay in one corner. I sat on the blanket and reached out for a small pile of pictures that I left nearby. I stared at them and remembered dancing with Gregor, standing close to him, sitting with him, then sitting with him, kissing him, and how right and easy it felt when I told him I loved him. I would never forget him, and I would always love him. While I was remembering him I almost failed to notice a figure watching me from the entrance of the museum. I put the pictures down and looked to see who it was, I immediately recognized him and felt a smile spread across my face. "Hello Ripred. What do you need?"

"Nothing, I just wanted to see you pining over the boy. Oh, wait no I didn't." He rolled his eyes. "My scouts gave me their monthly report, it's mostly the same but I thought you might want to hear it."

I quickly nodded and thanked him for finding me to tell me.

"When he's not in school, he is either sleeping, or drawing pictures of you. He has many of them in his room, he keeps the picture of the two of you by his bed and stares at it before he goes to sleep. His mother doesn't seem too happy about it, but she hasn't voiced her opinion as far as I know. He's grown, I hear he is a little taller than you now, and his shoulders are filling out. I also have a surprise for you, consider it an early birthday gift, I requested this specifically for you."

My heart was racing as I wondered what it could be, it was most likely something of Gregor's, but it could also be Lizzie's or Boots'. Ripred extended his left claw and held out a small white square, I was confused as I reached for it; as my hand closed around it, he told me to turn it over. I did and my heart nearly stopped. There he was, smiling at me with the same boyish grin and warm brown eyes. I felt tears fill my eyes and then spill over. I laughed at the sweet joy blossoming in my chest, and my laughs turned to sobs, I was caught between unbelievable happiness and crushing sorrow.

Staring though the tears, I focused on the image of Gegor smiling at me, he had definitely grown. His face was more angled than it was three years ago, he still had the small dimples at the edges of his smile, and his eyes looked almost the same. Almost. I could see the shadow of pain in them, and wondered if it was the same pain I felt everyday. I could never thank Ripred enough for this gift, it meant everything to me, I would treasure it for the rest of my life. I couldn't speak, so I threw my arms around Ripred and held him as tightly as I could, and he responded in kind. We both missed Gregor terribly, more than anyone else in the Underland, I believed. After a few minutes I regained my composure, and we parted. "Thank you Ripred, I love it. Come on, I think it is almost time for the ceremony to begin." As we were walking out of the museum, I took one more look at the picture of Gegor. "I love you, Gregor the Overlander"

* * *

 **Okay, well let me know what you thought of the chapter. Also, I might not do another Luxa POV, at least not for a whole chapter, it was very difficult for me and I'm not sure why.**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: I'm going to do this chaper in third person, let me know if you prefer it this way.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing in relation to The Underland Chronicles.**

* * *

School was Gregor's least favorite part of the day. He didn't think it was boring, he just thought it was unnecessary. Honing his reflexes and improving his body seemed for more important to his future than solving for "y". Still he almost never missed school, it was a relatively small price to pay to keep his mother happy. He would be leaving in a few years and in the meantime he wanted her to be upset as little as possible.

After his grandmother had passed, two years ago, his father had a small relapse but quickly recovered. He hadn't had any serious health problems since, and Grace was extremely grateful for that, he seemed to be in the clear. Gregor fervently hoped that was true, it would break his heart if his father relapsed when he left.

Gregor only had a few hours until he could go home and get back to training, and since it was Friday, it would be very intense. He was looking forward to it. Turning his attention back to his class, he noticed Lauren, one of the school's cheerleaders, staring at him. He ignored her gaze and pretended to take notes, it wasn't that she wasn't pretty, in fact she was very attractive. She was a little over five and a half feet tall with a lean athletic build, her brunette hair fell in thick waves to the middle of her back, and she had a fair complexion with deep green eyes. She was also very smart and surprisingly kind, but Gregor didn't care, because his heart belonged to someone else. He knew, because of Vikus, that Luxa had matured, but that she was still the same determined, loyal, intelligent, fierce girl that he fell in love with. He couldn't wait to see her again. He wondered if she liked the picture he had given Ripred's mice, Ripred had known of Gregor's plan to return for a long time now, but Vikus convinced him to keep it a secret from Luxa, not that he needed much convincing.

Gregor had grown in the last three years, he was almost six feet tall now and he was pretty sure he wasn't done growing. All of his exercise was also clearly paying off, his body was still developing, but he had a very strong build. Again he thought of Luxa, and wondered how much she had grown, how much she had changed. He was pulled from his reverie when the bell signifying the end of the class rang. He had grabbed his notebook and was almost out of the room when Lauren called out to him.

"Gregor, wait up. How are you doing today?" She had a bright smile on her face.

He didn't really feel like talking, but Lauren was a nice girl so he wasn't going to be rude and ignore her. "I'm alright Lauren, how are you?"

She smiled wider when I said her name. "I'm okay. So, was wondering what you were planning on doing after school today? I heard there's supposed to be a pretty big rainstorm tonight."

It was Gregor's turn to smile, he knew about the rainstorm and couldn't wait for it to hit. "Yeah, I know, I'm just going to work out I guess. I really like exercising in the rain, it's so energizing, I feel like I could go for hours."

"Oh. Well, do you think you can take a night off tonight?" She sounded really hopeful but her smile had started to falter.

"Why? If you're worried about me being struck by lightning my house has a lightning rod built into it, so I don't have to worry about that?" I decided to play ignorant.

She looked confused and a little worried now. "Wait, you're going to exercise outside? In a rainstorm? What if you get sick?"

"I've done it before and I haven't gotten sick. Besides it's not like I can properly workout inside, and like I said, I feel like the rain gives me more energy." The last part wasn't actually true, he just really liked to do the rain training so he pushed himself harder, it was one of the most fun and easiest ways to mark his progress. "Why did you want me to take the day off?"

"Oh, you see... I was sort of wondering if you wanted to go to the movies with me tonight." She was sporting a pretty heavy blush by the time she had finished speaking.

Gregor felt bad for having to her down, but it's not like he had been leading her on or anything. "Lauren, I'm not really interested in dating anyone. I'm sorry if I came across that way, but I really want to focus on my education right now. I'll completely understand if you're upset with me."

"No, it's okay. I'll see you later Gregor." She walked away quickly with her head held low.

Gregor sighed, he hoped she would be able to bounce back quickly. On his way to his next class, he wondered if he would have to do that again before he went back to the Underland, he hoped not. Before he made it to the classroom, he heard someone behind him quickly making their way in his direction. The sound ambient sound of the hallway and the person's heavy footfalls let Gregor's mind construct an ever progressing image. A large male was aggressively pushing his way through the hall, directly towards Gregor. Judging from his size and taking into consideration what had just transpired with Lauren, it was a pretty safe bet that it was Shawn, Lauren's older brother. Gregor kept walking towards his next class, he was prepared to react to an attack from behind, though he gave no outward signs that he knew what was happening.

Shawn's deep voice rang out so loudly that the image was clearer than Gregor would have been able to see if he was looking right at the larger teen. He could see the small patch of hair on the back of Shawn's head standing apart from the rest, I could see his clenched fists, I also saw the pencils and erasers sitting in the bottom of an open locker near the other end of the hallway. "GREGOR! WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY SISTER?" He stopped several feet behind Gregor.

Turning around, Gregor calmly responded, hoping that Shawn would believe him. "I didn't do anything to her. She asked me if I wanted to go see a movie with her, and I told her that I'm not interested in dating anyone, I didn't mean to upset her."

"Well you did. You made her cry, so I'm going to do the same to you. I'll be waiting for you after school, punk." With that he turned around and stormed away.

Gregor didn't the word punk, he wasn't sure why, it just rubbed him the wrong way. He only knew a few people who used it as an insult, and this was the first time it had been directed at him. He didn't like it one bit. He spent the first few minutes of his next class calming down, he couldn't afford to be anything but calm if he had to fight, otherwise there was a very large chance he could go too far and kill Shawn. He hope it was the combination of a long week, having to turn Lauren down, and being confronted that got him so worked up, and not just one word. That would make him feel like all the hard work he had put into controlling his emotions was useless.

* * *

School was finally out, and Gregor was wondering where Shawn would be waiting. The best place would be on the road leading behind the school since that was the way Gregor had to go to get home. This would be the fourth time Gregor had been in a fight since moving here. While he hadn't sought out any fights, he wasn't opposed to participating in them. He liked getting more experience under his belt, and if he was being honest, he liked being able to let off a little steam that way. He was right, Shawn was standing with a few of his friends facing Gregor.

Shawn was smirking arrogantly at Gregor, he thought he had every right to be confident. He was taller than Gregor, he was much more muscular, he was two years older, he believed he was more skilled when it came to fighting. Gregor knew the fight would be over in seconds.

Shawn spoke when Gregor was a few feet away from him. "Look, the little bastard actually showed up. Saved me the trouble of hunting you down tomorrow. I've been looking forward to this since the first day I saw you, you looked so smug, looking down on us just because you used to live in New York. Well now I get to put you in your place."

One of the things Gregor missed about the Underland was the fact that no one really talked before they fought, except Ripred of course. Shawn raised his fists in front of his face like a boxer, then slowly advanced towards him.

* * *

 **Gregor's POV**

* * *

I spread my feet and raised my arms, I kept my hands open. My vision had splintered the moment he raised his hands, and I saw every weak point on the front of his body, all of the holes in his form. I could have taken the first move and ended the fight, but I generally preferred reacting over acting.

He threw a jab with his left hand. It might as well have been in slow motion, I decided to teach him a little lesson. When his fist had almost reached me, I leaned inside his swing, and lashed out with blindingly fast punch to the top of his bicep. He grunted in pain and quickly moved away from me. He shook his arm a few times, glaring at me all the while. A few moments later he resumed his previous stance and came close once again. This time he jabbed with his right hand, but I could tell from the motion it was a feint. When his wide left hook was about a foot away I grabbed his left wrist and yanked his arm toward me, pulling him off balance, then I punched him in the sternum with my left hand. I stood there for a moment, my right hand still holding his wrist and my left firmly planted against his chest. When I felt his body start to sag against me I released his arm and softly pushed him away, he immediately collapsed and curled into the fetal position. I heard him trying to ease air into his aching chest, I knew that he would be in pain all weekend.

I became aware of someone behind me, quickly turning my head, I saw one of his friends' fist inches from my face. Reacting as fast as I could, I swung my right elbow behind me to deflect his fist while simultaneously thrusting my right leg out to kick him in the chest. As soon as my foot made contact, I quickly placed it back on the floor and looked around me to see if anyone else was going to attack me. When nobody moved I glanced down at Shawn, then turned and headed home. After I was off of school grounds, I started running. I wasn't running out of fear, it was simply how I got home, I lived two miles away from the school and since both of my parents worked I didn't have a ride. I liked running anyways, it helped me relax and helped me stay fit.

* * *

 **Third Person**

* * *

Gregor made it home in less than ten minutes, breathing heavier than normal, but by no means winded. He walked to the kitchen and made himself a turkey sandwich, while he was eating it he stared at the black clouds that were almost above his house. He could see the falling rain, like a curtain being pulled towards him. He could feel his anticipation building, the rain would probably hit his house in less than an hour. He decided to start his training now, Lizzie was in her room so he decided to let her know he was starting now. He knocked on her door and waited for her to respond.

"Gregor?" She was pretty sure it was him, Boots usually walked right in.

"Yeah, I'm going start exercising and I was wondering if you wanted to help me with the rock training." Lizzie helped with a lot of Gregor's training and this was her favorite exercise by far.

"Sure, just give me a few minutes to finish my math homework. Maybe you should stretch while you wait."

He walked outside and did as she suggested, he focused mostly on stretching his legs and back. Lizzie came out as he was finishing up, she walked over to the large pile of small rocks they kept behind the house. Gregor went to stand ten feet in front of her, Lizzie grabbed a handful of rocks with her left hand and asked if he was ready. When he nodded she grabbed one with her right hand and threw it as fast as she could at him. Gregor leaned to the right to dodge it, then ducked beneath the next and continued to dodge the rocks she threw. After about ten minutes she stopped and Gregor walked over to the pile and grabbed to two pieces of wood he kept there. One was around four feet long, the other was a little over two feet. He walked out again, but this time he stopped about seven feet away. Lizzie started throwing rocks two or three at a time and Gregor deflected them.

This went on for another ten minutes, by then Lizzie's shoulder was on fire and she called out, "Last one. Ready?" when he nodded she scooped up a handful of rocks and threw them all at him. Gregor's arms were blurs to her as he swatted all of the rocks away before they reached him. Like always, she was stunned to see her brother's immense level of skill, she was so proud of him. She knew first hand just how hard he pushed himself to improve and be the best he could be. He trained every day since they had moved to the farm, even when he was sick, which didn't happen often. She could see the rain clouds and knew that he would stun her again when she saw how, well, superhuman he appeared when he did the rain exercise. It was something their whole family, even Grace, was awed by. Soon after these thoughts passed through her head, she felt the familiar flash of sorrow. She knew why he pushed himself everyday, he was leaving and he needed to be ready for anything, she knew the Underland was still at peace but nobody believed it would last forever. She was the only one in the family who knew he was leaving, everyone knew about his strict exercise routine, but they believed him when he said it helped him focus and relax. She was pulled from her thoughts by Gregor's voice.

"Thanks for helping me Liz. I know, I know, you enjoy hurling rocks at me, but it helps me so thanks." He looked towards the clouds, "It looks like I have about twenty five minutes until the rain hits." he placed the makeshift swords on the ground near Lizzie, who'd decided to continue watching him, and walked to a tree that wasn't far from where they were. He jumped and grabbed the lowest branch then started doing chin-ups. After a while he swung his legs up and hooked them over the branch, then hung upside down and started doing inverted sit-ups. He could only do these for a few minutes because if he did them for too long, he would get a really bad headache. By the time he lowered himself to the ground there was about ten minutes until the rain hit so he sat down next to his younger sister. He wan't surprised she was still out here, today would be the heaviest rainfall in over a month. He was sure all of his family would be watching, it made him happy that they were so proud of him, and proud that he could still leave them in awe.

"I sent Ripred a picture to give to Luxa."

Lizzie looked at him, "I know, he said she really liked it. I sent him one of my school pictures, he said it's the most precious thing he owns." she smiled at her memory of the old rat.

Gregor acted upset, "He doesn't write me anymore, he just has his mice come and check up on me. Stupid rat." he turned his head away, but then smiled and looked back at her. "Do you think she'll still love me?" He sounded very insecure, and it made Lizzie sad for him.

She thought for a moment, he wanted an honest answer and she was going to try to give him one. "I think, she will still love who you were, and she will want to love who you are, but she will want to get to know you again before she consciously makes that decision."

He looked sad, but like that was what he was thinking as well, then she saw a glimmer in his eye. "Wait, 'consciously?' So you think she'll make the decision before she gets to know me, subconsciously?"

Lizzie smirked at him, "I think she will always love you, until you give her a reason to feel otherwise. I believe it'll just take some time before she realizes that." then she stood up. "I'm going to grab a glass of water, Mom, Dad, and Boots should be home soon. I hope you're ready to entertain us." She glanced up at the sky then walked inside.

Gregor stood up and did a few light stretches then picked his fake swords back up. He closed his eyes and faced the sky, relaxing and clearing his mind. He felt the first few raindrops hit him at about the same time he heard his parents drive up towards the house. He decided to greet them since he had a little time before the rain picked up. Boots was, as always, very excited to see him, and his parents smiled and hugged him. Lizzie joined them outside and his mom noticed the rain was getting heavier and asked if he was going to start soon. "Yeah, it's heavy enough for me to start now." His family walked inside the house and watched him from a window in the living room.

He walked away from them and stood in a spot they could all easily see. He tightened his grip on his swords, his vision didn't splinter but all he could see were the raindrops in front of him, everything else had faded away. He swung the sticks in a wide arc, then quickly brought them back around, his left arm shot up diagonally to the right, his right arm swung to the left so fast it was only a blur to his family. His arms started moving faster, in more complex patterns, he started doing half turns and rapidly lunging. His footwork picked up speed, and soon he was dashing, twisting, jumping, and spinning so fast that Lizzie couldn't actually see his feet anymore, although the rain wasn't helping. Gregor's family couldn't tell what was really happening because the were so far away, even Lizzie thought that Gregor was just swinging wildly at raindrops, hitting what he could and probably counting the raindrops that he hit. That was what he had done for the first year of the exercise, then he started hitting way too many to count, now he counted the ones he missed. Inside the five foot area he moved around in, very few raindrops touched the ground. After five minutes Gregor had counted four hundred and thirty-seven raindrops. That meant that he had hit thousands, it was made easier by the fact that each swing hit as many as twenty drops, so Gregor figured he was swinging each arm more than ten times a second. He wondered if that was good for a rager, he knew Ripred didn't really train anymore, but he wondered where his three years of hard training had gotten him in comparison to the old rat. He was sure he wasn't Ripred's equal, not yet, but he could't help but wonder if -not counting experience- he was close. He put it out of his mind and continued swing for all he was worth, he tired much more slowly than he figured a normal person would so he ended up fighting water droplets for half an hour. At that point his arms started shaking and he was starting to slow down noticeably so he abruptly dropped his arms and stood up straight. His legs weren't tired yet but with all of the running he did, that didn't surprise him. He jogged over to the rock pile and dropped his "swords" then walked through the back door into his house. When he got to the living room his dad was shaking his head in disbelief with a smile on his face, his mom looked thunderstruck, Boots was smiling like a crazy child, and Lizzie was beaming with pride at him.

"So, was it as impressive as last time, or any of the other hundreds of times I've done it?" He asked playfully.

Lizzie, still smiling, spoke before anyone else had opened their mouth, "Are you sure you're entirely human? I've never seen someone move so fast that they were literally a blur." his parents looked like they were thinking something similar.

Gregor wanted to say that she had never seen Ripred fight, but he thought it might upset his mom so instead he just smiled and shook his head. He looked to his parents "When's dinner?" He asked. " I'm feeling pretty hungry after all that."

"We'll start it now, but it won't be ready for an hour so you might want a snack to hold you over." His dad walked past him towards the kitchen after he spoke.

"Okay, well I'm going to go lay down for a while. Come get me if I'm not out by the time dinner's done." With that Gregor walked to his room. He shut the door then lied down on his bed, he grabbed the picture frame resting resting on his end table and stared at the image of him and Luxa contained within. He smiled at it for a second then kissed the glass over her face and set it back on the end table. He rolled onto his back and closed his eyes. He would be with her soon, but it wasn't soon enough for him.

* * *

 **So I decided that even if I do stick with a third person perspective, I'm still going to use first person for the fights since they are easier to write that way. Anyway, you've probably already read, so feel free to review, if that's your kind of thing.**

 **P.S. Sorry about any grammar errors, I watch my fingers when I type, not the screen, and I know things slip my attention.**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: This is the last planned time skip. I didn't really have much to write for the story before this, but I wanted you to see what Gregor was doing to prepare for the Underland, which is what the previous chapter was for. So now we are where I think the story really begins. I hope you all enjoy. P.S I don't know when Gregor's or Luxa's birthdays are, so I'm saying Luxa's is shortly before Gregor's and his is in the middle of June.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing in relation to The Underland Chronicles.**

* * *

Gregor was laying in bed, staring at the ceiling. It was five thirty in the morning, but he wasn't tired, he was too nervous and excited. Today was his last day of school, the last day of his senior year. He wasn't going to school today, however, because it was also the day he was returning to the Underland. He grabbed the picture of Luxa on his end table and stared at it for a moment, then sat up and turned it over in his hands, after undoing the clasps and removing the picture he set the frame back on the table without putting it back together. Then he kissed the image of Luxa's face and stood up, he put the picture in his back right pocket. He hadn't packed anything, all he was planning on keeping from here was the picture in his pocket. Maybe he would also take a picture of his family.

Since it was early, Gregor quietly made his way to the kitchen and grabbed a protein bar. He ate it then drank a glass of water and went outside, after taking a moment to appreciate the cool morning air, he started stretching. He finished after a few minutes then started jogging up the road, away from his house. While he jogged he thought about what he would do first when he got to the Underland. He considered trying to conceal his identity, and letting himself be escorted to Luxa and surprising her that way, but he also wanted a slightly more dramatic entrance. He was too conflicted and ultimately decided to see how things played out, besides Vikus and Ripred knew he was returning today and might have something planned already.

Two hours later Gregor had just made his way through the front door of his house when Lizzie snatched him into a tighter hug than he thought she was capable of giving. She whispered in his ear that she thought he had already left, she had known for a while that he was leaving today. "Did you really think I would leave without saying goodbye?" He whispered back. "I wouldn't do that Liz."

She let him go and took a step back, crinkling her nose at him, "You're all sweaty, ew," she wiped her hands on the front of his shirt, then laughed and walked into the dining room. He followed her and saw his parents sitting at the table, his heart was racing but he knew he had to do this. "Mom, Dad, can I talk to you in private for a second?"

They stared at him for a moment before his dad spoke, "Sure, come on Grace." they walked past him, to their bedroom.

When Gregor made it into the room he closed the door behind him. "I didn't want Boots to hear this, because she wouldn't understand." He took a moment to calm his nerves before continuing. "I'm leaving, I'm going back to the Underland today." He watched both of his parents' reactions, in his father's eyes he first saw shock, then fear, and after a few moments sad acceptance.

His mother was slightly different, he still saw the shock and fear, but then he saw defiance and anger, she spoke first, keeping her voice low so the other two children wouldn't hear her. "No. No you aren't, you are staying here. I don't care that you're eighteen, your birthday was only a few days ago, I won't let you go back."

"Mom, I'm going. I've saved up enough money from my summer job that I don't need your help, but I would really like to at least have your blessing, if not your approval." He looked to his father, silently asking for help.

His dad looked at him for a second, then spoke to his mom. "Grace, I know it's scary to think of him going back. I'm terrified of losing him to something there, but I'm sure Gregor is a little scared too. I think he's been planning this for a long time, and has had a lot of time to consider the danger he might be in. We can't stop him from doing this, but we can be strong for him, besides Gregor's obviously been preparing himself for this for the last six years." He spoke to Gregor, "This is really why you've been pushing yourself so hard, isn't it?" Gregor nodded. "I thought so. See Grace, he's not going there unprepared, he will be in much less danger than he was when he was twelve. Please don't let him leave on this note with you, it will only cause you more pain."

She didn't look angry anymore, now she looked scared and heartbroken. "Please don't do this Gregor, you're my baby and I don't want to lose you. Please stay here."

"I can't, you don't know how hard these last six years have been, how much it's hurt me to stay away. I can't explain why, but I don't feel like I belong here, I've felt like an outsider ever since I said goodbye to the Underland. It's not just about Luxa either, it's about everyone there. I have to go back, I've spent years making myself ready for this."

She looked like she had given up, "What will we tell your sisters? They will want to know where you've gone."

"Lizzie already knows, she's known for almost as long as I have," Gregor said.

His parents looked stunned, "WHAT?!" his mother shouted. "Why did she know before us?"

"Well, she figured it out in her own, besides if I had told you that I was going back, you probably wouldn't have let me train like I have been, and you probably would gotten suspicious and read all of the letters I got from Mrs. Cormaci," He calmly replied.

"Wait, is Mrs. Cormaci in on this too? Has she been keeping you updated on the happenings of the Underland?" His dad asked.

"Yeah, every time I write to her I send two letters, one for her and one for Vikus. He responds, and Mrs. Cormaci also writes me a letter and mails both to me. Ripred's also been keeping tabs on me, and writing letters to Liz."

His dad spoke again, "So you know the approximate state of the Underland? You have an idea of what you should expect when you get there?"

"Yeah, according to Vikus, after we left, the Underland entered a state of peace between most of the species. There are even gnawers living in Regalia." Gregor was happy that Ares' sacrifice had at least brought peace to the Underland. He subconsciously brought his left hand up to touch the scars The Bane had given him in their final confrontation.

"So there shouldn't be any fighting when you get there?" His mom sounded relieved when she spoke.

"Not any real fighting, but they do hold tournaments a few times a year, but the next one isn't for a few weeks." He responded.

His mom sighed, "I guess we'll tell Margaret that you moved to New York to go to college. I need you to promise me that you'll be safe Gregor."

"I promise mom." He hugged her and said, "I love you" he then hugged his dad and told him the same thing.

"How are you going to get to New York?" His dad asked.

"Well Enterprise is only a few miles away, so I was gonna run there and rent a car since you two work today, and it's out of your way." He answered.

"We can drive you Gregor, it's not that far, but we'll have to leave soon so tell your sisters goodbye," his mom voice cracked while she spoke.

Gregor walked out of the room and went to the dining room, when he got there he wrapped his youngest sister up in a big hug, which made her burst into a fit of giggles. "Gregor, let me go." She tried to sound stern but failed miserably since she couldn't stop laughing. He finally released her after a few minutes.

"Boots, I'm going away for a while. I'm moving back to New York to go to school, I have to leave today so I can get everything set up in time for the next school year. I love you and I'm gonna miss you, but I promise I'll try to visit. You'd better behave while I'm gone missy." He smiled at her and mussed her hair. She looked sad for a second but then she smiled brightly at him.

"I'll miss you, but I'll be waiting for you to come back." She hugged him tightly once more. She let him go and ran to her room.

Lizzie came to him and hugged him, "I'm going to miss you so much Gregor, be careful down there. I know they're at peace now, but we all know peace never lasts. Tell Luxa and Hazard I said hi, and give Ripred a hug for me. I love you." She gave him a final squeeze then let him go.

Boots came running back into the room and handed Gregor a picture, it was of the five of them earlier this summer, it was taken the day Gregor had first managed to complete the rain exercise without one drop getting past him. He was so proud of himself he had asked everyone to stand together in the living room and take a family picture to commemorate the event.

He smiled at her and gave her a kiss on the forehead, then folded the picture and put it in his back left pocket. His parents walked past him and told him they would start the car, Gregor hugged both of his sisters one last time then turned and walked outside.

* * *

He looked at the dilapidated building in front of him and smiled, he was here. He walked to Mrs. Cormaci's place and knocked. She opened the door after a few seconds, when she saw him she looked flabbergasted. She soon recovered, however, and pulled him into a hug. He told her he wasn't going to stay long, but she understood.

"I just wanted to thank you for passing the letters along for the last six years." he told her.

"I was more than happy to do it. I'm happy for you Gregor, now go, you need to get down there." she urged him away with a smile on her face.

They exchanged goodbyes and Gregor was on his way to the laundry room, if the currents weren't running a flier would be waiting for him at the grate, otherwise, the flier would wait at the bottom of the descent. When he pulled open the grate he saw the white wisps that meant the current was running. He was happy for that, he wanted to ride them again. He managed to squeeze his large frame through the opening and let himself fall into oblivion, a huge smile plastered on his face. While he fell, he rolled, twisted, flipped, spun, and twirled. It was exhilarating, he was back, after six years he was finally back.

He saw the ground approaching and twisted his body so that he would land feet first. A second after his shoes touched the ground, the sound echoed back to him and he "saw" a large bat standing on the ground about twelve feet to his right. He looked in it's direction and spoke, "Hello flier, are you here to take me to Regalia?"

The large bat cocked it's head at him, then spoke in a soft voice, "Yes. You can see me, Overlander?"

"I learned echolocation many years ago. Do you not recognize me?" Gregor wasn't arrogant, but he thought most creatures in the Underland knew him, although he had changed since the last time he was here.

"No, I do not. Should you be familiar to me?" The flier honestly sounded curious.

Gregor shook his head and smiled, "No, I guess not. Well, shall we go?"

The flier nodded and Gregor walked towards it, he was about halfway there when the flier spoke again, "Forgive me Overlander, I forgot to introduce myself. I am Persephone."

Gregor was on her back by now, and was trying to decide if he should tell her his name, in the end he decided there wasn't any harm in it. "Hello Persephone, I'm Gregor."

They had taken flight just before he spoke, and when she heard his name, Persephone froze and they angled back towards the ground. Gregor urgently called her name and patted her back, even though they weren't going to hit the ground hard, he didn't want her to get hurt. She recovered quickly and managed to stabilize them and pick up speed. After a minute she spoke again, this time with a slightly reverential tone, "Are you _the_ Gregor, the Warrior? The Overlander that was bonded to Ares the Mighty?"

 _Ares the Mighty?_ Gregor thought, Luxa or Vikus had probably had that added to his name to further honor his life and sacrifice. It sent a bittersweet ache through his heart, and he touched the scars on his chest. He believed if any flier deserved to be called mighty, it was Ares, he had performed deeds that seemed impossible. He closed his eyes for a second in remembrance, then opened them and answered Persephone, "Yes, I was the Warrior, and Ares was my bond."

"May I ask why you have returned, Warrior?"

"I came back because this is where I belong."

* * *

Luxa looked towards her grandfather, "Why must we do this today? I do not see why the tournament could not be held in two weeks, as was scheduled." she crossed her arms and stared expectantly at him.

"As I said Luxa, today shall be the perfect day for it. Please believe me, dear one." He smiled gently at her, and it eased much of her anger.

"Fine Vikus, but you know I do not care for these tournaments. They only serve as a way for the council to get me to dine with the relatives they wish me to marry." she huffed and leaned back in her chair. The tournaments had started as a way to keep tensions between the different species low, they served to release built up tensions. After her sixteenth birthday the council had, without her knowledge, declared that the winner of the tournament was allowed to share a meal with the queen. It was their way of trying to get her to marry their skilled relatives, and therefore get close to the crown. They couldn't force her to marry but they could certainly annoy her, the law stated that a council was to be maintained as long as there was only one ruler in Regalia, and since she still didn't plan on marrying, they would be around for a while. Fortunately, Ripred fought in most of the tournaments, and no one in the Underland was his equal. She wondered how long that would remain true, while he was still far above anyone else he had fought against, he was getting old, and she hadn't once, in all the time she knew, him seen him train. He was here today, so she didn't worry about facing another awkward dinner.

She watched the tournament progress with an almost palpable amount of disinterest, Ripred had made his way to the final match along with a moderately skilled soldier, she knew it would be over in seconds. She saw Vikus looking above the arena, he appeared to be anxiously waiting for something. She was about to ask him about it when she heard wings flapping, the sound drew nearer and she scanned the air for it. There, to her left, past Vikus was a large brown flier, and on it's back was a rider wearing strange clothes. Overland clothes, she realized after a moment. _What is an Overlander doing on a flier_ she thought, _Did Vikus know this was going to happen? Is this what he was waiting for?_

Vikus' voice broke her out of her thoughts, "Finally."

So he did know, the flier was almost to the arena, and she looked at it once more. She thought her heart had stopped beating, she knew the rider, she loved him. She didn't know how but she realized she was standing in the arena, watching the flier land. She couldn't believe he was here, she called his name and it felt perfect on her lips, "GREGOR!"

* * *

"GREGOR!"

His heart skipped a beat, he would recognize her voice anywhere. He had been lost in his thoughts on the flight here, but now only one thing could hold his attention, he whipped his head to his right, and he saw her, she looked beautiful. She was standing a few dozen feet away, wearing a white dress that hugged her shapely upper body then loosened at her hips and stopped just above the ground. Her long silvery blonde hair braided over her left shoulder and ended almost at her waist. He could see the beautiful deep purple of her eyes even from here, and it took his breath away. He jumped off of the flier and walked in a daze to Luxa. She started walking towards him, when they had nearly halved the distance, they both started running. When they reached each other, he pulled her into his embrace and picked her up off the ground, then spun around several times. When he stopped and set her down, he pulled back to look into her eyes and saw that she was wearing a smile to match his own. He noticed that she was about half a foot shorter than he was.

"I've missed you, Luxa." he said emphatically.

"I have missed you as well, Gregor." Her smile faded slightly, then she slowly leaned her face up toward his. Gregor leaned the rest of the way in, and they shared their first kiss in six years, it made his lips tingle and his heart flutter.

They were broken out of their moment by Ripred loudly clearing his throat. "Well, as precious as this is, we're in the middle of something boy. Now move aside and wait you turn, I'll be with you shortly."

Gregor and Luxa broke apart, Gregor then looked around the arena and saw all of the people there. "Let me guess, you moved the tournament to today so that you could get me to fight you?"

"Yes I did, so you'd better hope your training has been enough. Now, take a set and let me finish my match. I"m talking to you too your highness." then Ripred turned away from them and faced the other man standing in the arena.

Luxa looked shocked by what Ripred said, "Ripred, you knew the Overlander was returning today, and you did not tell me? How could you keep this from me?"

"If you're going to get upset, then you should know that Vikus has known for six years." Ripred smiled in the older man's direction, then turned to face his opponent.

Luxa looked at Vikus and saw a nervous expression on his face. She grabbed Gregor's hand and made her way to Vikus. "Why did you not tell me, Vikus? You knew, more than all others, how much I have missed Gregor. How could you do this to me?" she looked sad and betrayed.

Gregor spoke for Vikus, "I asked him not to tell you, I'm sorry, I wanted to surprise you. I didn't think you would be upset about it, but it's not his fault, so please don't be mad at him."

Luxa turned to Gregor and released his hand, "Why would you not tell me, you do not know how much I have hurt since you left."

Gregor spoke softly, "Actually, Vikus and I wrote letters, and he told me how affected you were and he begged me to let him tell you, but I was selfish and told him to keep it secret. I am _very_ sorry Luxa."

Luxa knew that he was being sincere, and she wasn't mad, but she was still hurt that he kept this a secret, so she decided to play with him a little. "I will forgive you... if you can best Ripred."

Gregor felt a ball of unease build in the pit of his stomach, he thought of Ripred as the epitome of a warrior, but he needed Luxa to forgive him, so he took a deep, calming breath and nodded. He watched Ripred tear through his opponents solid defense in an instant, then send the man to the ground with a casual tail swipe. Well at least he would be able to see just how far he had come. He looked at Luxa one more time, turned and smiled at Vikus, then walked down to the arena.

Before he stepped onto the field, he grabbed two swords, the one in his right hand was a standard long sword, the one in his left was much smaller, it looked like a really long dagger. He didn't have any armor so he hoped Ripred wouldn't go too far. He took several deep breaths then walked out and stood ten feet from the giant rat.

Luxa spoke from the stands, "Inhabitants of Regalia, standing before you are the only two known ragers in the Underland, Ripred the gawer and Gregor the Overlander," the crowd exploded at his name, he figured it was because he played a vital part in bringing peace to their world. "This will be the final match of this tournament. Begin!"

* * *

 **Gregor's POV**

* * *

I tensed my body, expecting Ripred to lunge at me, instead he stood where he was and beckoned me forward by curling his front left paw, my vision splintered. I smiled the obliged, I sprinted at him then lunged the last few feet, thrusting my right sword out as fast as I could. I saw the surprise in his eyes at the quickness of my thrust, but he managed to twist his chest to avoid getting impaled. I was glad he had underestimated me, but also a little nervous that he might do it again and get hurt because of it, at least the swords weren't edged. I saw his tail coming towards my left side and easily managed to slap it aside with my short sword. His paws and tail started coming in from all sides, but he wasn't striking very fast so I was able to answer every one of his strikes with one of my own.

 _Why is he going so easy on me? Is he testing me? Maybe he's trying to make me look good in front of everyone so that they like me more, but that doesn't really seem like something he would do._

 _Block left, thrust right, duck, spin right, slice left, jump, duck, leg sweep, double thrust, slice right, block right, parry left, kick, spin left_ , it went on, back and forth, neither of us touching anything but the other's weapons/claws

We had been exchanging blows for over ten minutes when I noticed Ripred was getting upset, I wondered if he was tired of playing around. "If you don't want to play around anymore, we can get serious." I spoke quietly, I didn't want the crowd to know that we were going easy on each other. I was taken completely by surprise when Ripred snarled and dropped into a very familiar stance.

"You want to play. boy, well have fun." with that Ripred started his rager spin. I was taken aback for a moment by the anger in his voice but I quickly regained my composure and decided to take his suggestion to heart. I began striking Ripred in pressure points before he could retaliate, but it was his fault for slowing down his best attack. After a few moments I lunged right into his reach and began my own slowed down rager spin. Ripred looked completely stunned that I had managed to get inside his ultimate move and counter with my own, but it didn't last long as I had knocked his paw out from under him, hit him in dozens of pressure points and kicked him away before he could complete one revolution.

He slowly pushed his way too his feet and looked at me with a mixture of pride and loathing, "You win, Gregor, you beat me."

* * *

 **Third Person**

* * *

Gregor was confused, why had Ripred given up, Gregor had only struck his pressure points hard enough to let him know they'd been hit, not nearly hard enough to affect his fighting abilities. He decided he would ask him about it later, for now he focused on Luxa. She looked speechless, she was also probably shocked that Ripred gave up. She stood and addressed the crowd, "Gregor the Overlander has bested Ripred the gnawer." The crowd erupted. Luxa smiled widely at Gregor, but he could also see a look of awe in her eyes.

He made his way to her and Vikus, on the way there many people congratulated him on beating Ripred, but he didn't pay much attention to them. When he finally reached Luxa she spoke first, "How dd you do that Gregor? I've never seen any creature move as swiftly as you did, Ripred had no hope of victory."

Gregor was confused again, "Ripred was holding back and so was I, Luxa. Both of us could have moved much faster if were being serious, in fact I don't know why Ripred surrendered."

Vikus spoke next, "Gregor, I have known Ripred longer than most. I know how well Ripred can fight, and how fast he can move, and while he was faster in his youth than he is now, he is still a great deal faster than any other I have seen. He was moving faster today than I have seen in nearly fifteen years, and he was fighting in top form, Gregor. He knew you were restraining yourself, and he spoke true, you beat him."

Gregor was having trouble absorbing that, he saw Luxa looking at him with eyes full of pride, but he didn't believe it. He wasn't better than Ripred, was he?

* * *

 **AN: I'm sure some of you will think that Gregor is OP, but I think that's what a rager should be, they are natural born slaughter machines. As for Gregor being stronger than Ripred, I think it makes sense, he is 18, still moving into his prime and has spent six years training his body to fight, while Ripred has always seemed to arrogant to be bothered with training and he is also getting pretty old. Anyway, I'm sure I've upset some people, I apologize, but this is how I feel.**


End file.
